"Despite the considerable efforts of Congress and the president to pass health insurance reform, the public remains reluctant to endorse that goal," Gallup says.

The poll shows that 49% of respondents say or lean towards saying that they would advise their member of Congress to vote against a bill, while 44% say or lean towards advocating in favor of the bill. Support among Rs, Ds, and Is has dropped since last month, having dropped 12 points among Republicans, 6 points among Democrats and 8 points among Independents since early October. By 53-40, most Americans disapprove of the President’s handling of health care policy—"his worst review to date on this issue."

Any good news in them thar poll numbers? Yes -- "opinion on the issue is far from settled. When initially asked about their preferred course of action on healthcare legislation, 22% of Americans say they do not yet have an opinion on the matter."

Some arrows in the quivers of health care reform-backing Democrats that you may hear about today:

1) MIT professor Jonathan Gruber has released a study stating that the Senate Democrats' health care reform bill makes "market reforms which will make health insurance much more affordable for individuals facing purchase in the non-group market."

2) The White House this morning released this video from Vice President Biden asking the American people: who do you trust? Doctors and nurses in favor of reform? Or special interests opposed to it? The video features Dr. Lori Heim, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians and Rebecca Patton, RN, president of the American Nurses Association.